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Public Relations Also Means Keeping Secrets and Being Quiet
In many ways, the Arab nations consistently outwork Israelin the Public Relations arena as they have mastered “the big lie.” The Arabs keep many things quiet – and often deny everything unless something can be absolutely proven by the world. Arab governments are often able to completely fool the media.
Every single Palestinian Arab ever hurt is an “innocent civilian.” If an Israeli soldier shoots and wounds someone, they always seem to be an innocent child or some other cockamamie story. Little semblance to reality – and often times, Israel publicly states they are “investigating” or issues no comment so the Palestinians are able to get their story out, and the Israelis lose the Public Relations war.
On the other side, for a nation that prides itself on military prowess Israel seems to often times do a very bad job at keeping secrets, which is a fundamental to PR success. Why create a public issue where none exists? Worldwide headlines ran today screaming: “Ethiopian Women Forced by Israel to Accept Birth Control Shots” and Israel naturally received negative media worldwide attention.
An obscure Israeli Health Ministry Official felt the need to publicly comment about how a small number of Ethiopian women who were immigrating to Israel were injected with a long-acting contraceptive without understanding the consequences of the treatment. These shots were given to women between 1967 and 1978 – and it was very wrong if this was indeed done.
But, one wonders what this so-called government official thought could be gained by speaking out? Governments don’t always have to respond to media inquiries, and by responding one wonders what the State of Israel thought they had to gain. A moral upper hand? Laughable –Israelis always the bad guy in the media and providing the media more fodder only stands to hurtIsrael.
Owning a PR agency I am cognizant of media bias against Israel – and Israel has to always be thinking of image, right or wrong. Sometimes that means simply being quiet.